Carthage Press begins metered online content

Last week, The Carthage Press began charging non-print subscribers for full digital access to our website, carthagepress.com.

Gatehouse Media

Last week, The Carthage Press began charging non-print subscribers for full digital access to our website, carthagepress.com.

The move comes nearly 14 years after the newspaper’s website launched and reflects the growth of the newspaper’s digital offerings over the years.

Visitors to carthagepress.com will still get unlimited access to the website’s homepage, breaking news, obituaries, weather, blogs and multimedia offerings. But most other articles on the website, including general local news, entertainment, lifestyle, and in-depth sports stories, will fall into a paid category.

After reading 15 pay-category articles per month, readers who do not subscribe to the newspaper will be asked to pay a monthly subscription to gain unlimited access for the site.
GateHouse Media, the parent company of The Carthage Press, has launched this metered approach to digital access at dozens of other news websites across the country with our subscription partner, Press+.

Press+ offers visitors opportunities to subscribe through a secure interface.

Occasional visitors to the website probably won’t know the subscription system exists. Heavier users who visit the website several times a day and want all the content would find themselves having to pay for full access unless they are print subscribers.

Print subscribers will receive full website access as part of their subscription beginning next week.

Non-print subscribers can get full website access for $10.99 a month, or $131.88 annually.
Offering free access helped build the website into the dominant online provider of local news, but as the site has grown, so have the costs needed to maintain and grow it.

Other newspapers nationwide have announced they are adopting a subscription system for their websites in the near future, including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and many others. Some newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal, have charged online readers a subscription fee for years.

FAQ: What to know about online metering

Why do I need to pay for content on carthagepress.com?
For several years now anyone who wanted to see all the content on carthagepress.com had the ability to do so. That’s a strategy that built the website into the dominant digital deliverer of news in our market, but it’s also a strategy that is not a sustainable business model. It costs a lot of money to manage and produce the content we place on the website, and the shift to sell subscriptions for full site access will help ensure the newspaper will continue to be able to provide the depth of information for readers in the future.

What can I see for free?
Our breaking news sections, multimedia and obituaries are among the sections that will continue to be free.

What will I have to pay for?
After reading 15 stories in specific sections, readers will be asked to pay a monthly or annual subscription to gain unlimited digital access for the site. Those sections include sports, features and lifestyles content, as well as news and community sections accessed after the homepage.

If I subscribe to the print newspaper, will I still have to pay online?
No, your print subscription includes digital access. When prompted, select access for print subscribers to set up a username and password for free access.

My whole family reads the paper. Can more than one family member be covered by the online subscription?
Families can share a subscription to the newspaper’s website, but there will be only one login per customer.

How much content can I see without having to pay?
Bear in mind that many of the highest-trafficked portions of our website continue to be accessed for free, including breaking news, obituaries, videos, photo galleries and blogs. Beyond these features, visitors will be able to read 15 articles a month in the for-pay sections.

If I read one story, then go back to check comments on it again, will that count toward the 15 pages of content I get to view for free?
No. Views of the same page will not be counted more than once.

How do I pay to get an online subscription?
It’s easy to sign up. When you view your second article in a paid section you’ll be asked if you want to subscribe for full site access. You can do so with a credit card through Press+’s secure website. Or, you can wait to make the decision to subscribe until you’ve read 15 articles in the paid sections. Access is instantaneous upon payment.

Why did you choose to allow readers only 15 articles before they have to subscribe for full site access?
We wanted to make sure infrequent visitors to carthagepress.com weren't forced to subscribe immediately. We want people to have the opportunity to get a sample of the valuable content we provide daily without having to subscribe immediately. We may experiment with the threshold that makes the most sense for our site, but for now we are sticking with 15 articles.

What is Press+?
Press+ is our e-commerce system for digital subscriptions. When you subscribe to carthagepress.com, you will create a Press+ account, and Press+ will charge your credit card for the subscription amount. The charge will appear on your credit card statement as “Press Plus” in the amount of your subscription.

Is the pop-up “subscribe” window a secure URL?
Yes. If you right-click on the window and “view frame info” or “frame source,” you'll see it's an https URL.

How will digital subscriptions be billed?
We accept major credit cards. Subscriptions are billed every 30 days for monthly subscriptions or every 360 days for annual subscriptions. Your subscription renews automatically, and you are charged in advance of each billing cycle unless you cancel. Note: Because Press+ is managing the billing for your digital subscription, the charge on your credit card statement will say “Press Plus” rather than The Carthage Press.

Can I pay by check, invoice, or PayPal?
No. All payments are via credit card.?What is the cancellation policy? You will be able to cancel your subscription at any time. When you cancel, we will stop charging your account the following billing cycle. Your unlimited access will continue for the remainder of the current 30-day period. Afterward, you will still be able to view 15 pages per month on wayneindependent.com at no charge, just like any other visitor.

Account Management FAQ

?How do I sign in to my account once I’ve subscribed?
You are automatically signed in as soon as you subscribe; there isn’t anything further you need to do. If you are prompted with a message to subscribe at a later time, you can log in with the account you created.

To access your account, follow these steps:?1. Click “My Account” at http://www.mypressplus.com?2. Log in with your email address and password.

What do I do if I forgot my password?
To reset your password, follow these steps:?1. Go to https://accounts.mypressplus.com?2. Click “Forgot password”?3. Enter your email address and click “Submit.” This will send you an email with a link to reset your password.?4. After clicking the link, you will be prompted to enter and reconfirm your new password.?5. Click “Submit” and your password will be updated.

How do I modify my payment information?
To modify your payment information, follow these steps:?1. Click “My Account” at http://www.mypressplus.com?2. On the “Account Summary” page, select “Modify Payment Information”?3. Confirm that the cardholder name and billing zip code of your credit/debit card are correct?4. Enter your card number and expiration date?5. Click “Submit” and your payment information will be updated

I have a question about all of this. Who do I call?

We’re here to help if you have questions or comments. If you want to talk to the editor, John Hacker may be reached by calling (417) 358-2191 or by email at jhacker@carthagepress.com.